“He used to read prayers in public to the ship’s crew every sabbath day; and when first I saw him read, I was never so surprised in my whole life as when I saw the book talk to my master; for I thought it did, as I observed him to look upon it, and move his lips. — I wished it would do so to me. — As soon as my master had done reading I follow’d him to the place where he put the book, being mightily delighted with it, and when nobody saw me, I open’d it and put my ear down close upon it, in great hope that it would say something to me ; but was very sorry and greatly disappointed when I found it would not speak, this thought immediately presented itself to me, that every body and every thing despised me because I was black.”

–From the Slave Narrative of James Albert Ukawsaw Gronniosaw (1772).

In Flagler and Palm Coast:

Note: all government meetings noticed below are free and open to the public unless otherwise indicated. Many can be heard or seen live through each agency’s website.

♦ July 5: A pre-trial is scheduled at 1:30 p.m. before Circuit Judge Matthew Foxman in Courtroom 401 at the Flagler County Courthouse in the case of Joseph Bova II, the man accused of first-degree murder in the killing of Zuheily Roman Rosado in an execution-style shooting at the Mobil Mart on State Road 100 in Palm Coast in February 2013. Pre-trail hearings have been frequently continued, however. Bova has been held without bond at the Flagler County jail since May 11, 2015, when he returned from a state psychiatric hospital.

The Palm Coast City Council meets at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall in Town Center. Council members will recognize Palm Coast residents Dawn Petrillo and her daughter, Jamie Rhoads, who helped save a man trapped under his lawnmower on Fairbanks Lane on April 20. Council members are also expected to approve a contract for a transportation impact fee, a key step before changing those one-time rates levied on builders to anticipate the cost of new development’s impacts on roads.

Palm Coast Offender Branded a Sexual Predator 5 Years After Prison, With No New Sex Crime: The Coppedge case illustrates the vagaries that can frame the case of a sexual offender—or, now, predator—long after he’s been released from prison, and how those vagaries, compounded with restrictions on where sex offenders may live and what strict reporting requirements they must live by, can eventually have the opposite effect of the state’s intended surveillance.

Attorney Joerg Jaeger, Who’d Been Defending Ex-Supervisor Kimberle Weeks, Dies at 68: Joerg Jaeger, the long-time Orlando criminal defense attorney who was representing former Flagler County Supervisor of Elections Kimberle Weeks in her criminal case, died on June 28. Jeffrey Ashton, the State Attorney for the 9th Judicial Circuit–where Jaeger had once been a prosecutor–announced Jaeger’s death on his Facebook page Thursday.

Cypress Knolls Golf Course Future Still in Doubt: “It’s not the British Open, but the winds foretelling the future of the Cypress Knolls Golf Course in Palm Coast are brisk and shifting on a daily basis. In the most recent wind shift, Firinn Golf Group (Doreen Holl and Chris McLaren), operators of Pine Lakes Golf Course, have backed away from a deal that would have put the Cypress Knolls Golf Course under their ownership and control,” GoToby reports.

Clinton outraises Trump in Volusia-Flagler, But Neither Raking It In Locally: According to thre News-Journal, “the Clinton machine collected more than $32,000 from more than 200 donations, including seven who gave the maximum $2,700. Trump, by stark contrast, collected just two checks from Volusia residents in April for $750. And none of the historically max donors of Volusia and Flagler have showed up among either Trump or Clinton’s donor lists.” (Story paywall-protected.)

♦ July 6-8: Navy training schedules indicate that inert bombing and helicopter operations will take place at the Pinecastle Range Complex located in the Ocala National Forest as follows: July 6, 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., helicopter operations. July 7, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., helicopter operations and inert bombing runs from 2 to 3:30 p.m. July 8: helicopter operations from 9:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. The telephone number for noise complaints is 1-800-874-5059, Fleet Area Control and Surveillance Facility, Jacksonville, Fla. For additional information, call (904) 542-5588. ♦ July 7: Flagler County Sheriff Jim Manfre and the County Commission hold a ribbon-cutting at the expanded county jail at 10 a.m., 1002 Justice Lane, Bunnell. There will be limited tours.♦ July 7: U.S. Senate candidate Carlos Beruff, a Republican running for Marco Rubion’s seat, is be the guest speaker at the Flagler County Young Republicans Club meeting, which is open to the public. 7 p.m., Hilton Garden Inn, Palm Coast. Beruff, 58, is a Manatee County developer and major contributor to more than 100 political candidates since 2002, including a few Democrats, according to the Miami Herald. ♦ July 8-9: Book Blowout: The Friends of the Library of Flagler County are holding a discounted book sale. The public is invited to attend and take advantage of these bargains. The sale is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. All books are 25 cents each – these two days only. No limit. Books will be continually replenished. Sale will be held at the Friends Book Shop, Flagler County Public Library, 2500 Palm Coast Pkwy NW. For questions, call 386/446-6763. ♦ July 9: Art and Poetry Show, the annual exhibit sponsored by the Gargiulo Art Foundation, opens with a free reception at 6 p.m. at the Flagler County Art League at City Marketplace in Palm Coast. The exhibit runs through Aug. 9. For information, call 386-986-4668. ♦ July 14: The Flagler County Democrats host a candidate forum featuring all mayoral and Palm Coast City Council candidates , from 6 to 8 p.m. at the African-American Cultural Society, 4422 North U.S. 1 in Palm Coast. The event is free and open to all. For additional information, call 386/283-4883. ♦ July 16: North Florida Open Chess Championship, $1,000 total purse. Ramada Inn I-95 & 9150 Baymeadows Road, Jacksonville. Three Sections: Open, U1550 and U900. Prizes: $1000 (60% guaranteed) b/o 35 (paid entries). Cash prizes for best players U2000, U1800 & U1200. 5SS (5 rounds of games) 1st Round G/45;d5 all other rounds are G/55min + d5sec. $45 Walk-up Registration $35 Online price. Players in grades K-12 $25. Register here. Details here. The tournament director for this event will be our own Steve Lampkin. ♦ July 18: The trial of Anna Pehota, 77, who faces a second-degree murder charge over the alleged killing of her husband in the Hammock in September 2015, is scheduled to begin with jury selection. ♦ July 22: The latest pre-trial hearing in the case of Florida v. Kimberle Weeks is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. before Circuit Judge Margaret Hudson in Courtroom 401 at the Flagler County Courthouse. Weeks now faces nine third-degree felony counts, down from 12, stemming from allegations that she illegally recorded various individuals in her capacity as supervisor of elections and in her private life. Weeks resigned that post in January 2015. ♦ July 23: The annual Back to School Jam, where families can get $5 backpacks, find their bus routes and location, help with access to the district’s computerized records-keeping system, meet with innumerable coordinators and directors of after-school activities and programs and a lot more, is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Flagler Palm Coast High School, in the gym. ♦ July 25: The Plantation Bay Utility Customers Community meets at 6 p.m. at Club de Bonmont, 300 Plantation Bay Drive, Ormond Beach. ♦ July 20: The Flagler League of Cities, a gathering of the county’s mayors, meets at noon at Flagler Beach City Hall. ♦ July 30: Solar Plunge to benefit the Flagler Beach National Flight Academy Scholarship. Registration will be $10 per person and includes a t-shirt and goody bag. Late registration will be from 7:30- 8:30 a.m. in Veterans Park followed by The Plunge at 8:45 a.m. After the Plunge enjoy music in the park and light refreshments.